Fluid pressure fuel system



Dec. 12, 1933. Y' E. L. RATHBURN Y 1,939,318

FLUID PRESSURE FUEL SYSTEM Filed July 50, 1927 Patented Dee. 12, 1933PATENT OFFICE FLUID PRESSURE FUEL SYSTEM Emory Lee Rathburn, Chicago,Ill., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to The Mantle Lamp Company of America, Chicago, lll.,a corporation of Illinois Application my 30,1927'. serial No. 209,620 sclaims. (ci. 48-107) My inventionfrelates generally to the improvedsystem of fuelizing the fluid hydro-carbons in connection with theoperation of heat and pow'er producing plants, being particularlyadapted to incorporation in the more efllcient portable types ofinternal combustion engines employed in rapid transportation means andmore particularly where the exhausted gases are apt to contamidL natethe atmosphere being used by human beings for vital respiration.

Foremost among the objects of the present invention is the basalelimination, from the exhaust gases of such engines, of the poisonouscarbonyl group of gases. A

Additional major objects, such as improved cylinder lubricat on, greatervolumetric elciency and the elim ation of detonation are attainedsimultaneously and by this same means of complete fuelization of theessential hydro-carbon fluid.

It will be understood that in actual practice this invention is notrestricted to any particular narrow range of light high gravityiluids,a1- though the word petrol will be used in convenience hereinafter todesignate the element vof raw fuel. v

The accompanying drawing shows, more or less diagrammatically, oneembodiment of the^pres ent invention and will serve to illustratefundamentally the process and also provide a means of pointing out thesequence of operation of the essential apparatus.v 5

Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing the apparatus as an integral part of acombined intake and exhaust manifolds adapted to the more common type offour cylinder and four-cycle automotive engine; Fig. 2 is a verticalcentral section of the same, taken through the line A-A of Fig. 1. V l

40 Similar characters refer to similar parts of the invention throughthe views.

In operation, for example in connection with an internal combustionengine, it will be understood that the passages 12 and 34, as shown inFigures 1 and 2, may communicate with the intake ports of an engine, notherein shown. The passages l, 23 and 4 may be connected to the variousexhaust ports of such engine. The engine is not shown since it does notof itself form a part of the present invention. 14 is adapted tocommunication with a suitable source of aerated petrol vapor, such asthe conventional carbureter, which is required, while operating atmaximum capacity, to pass an equivalent thirty per cent of the totalcapacity of the system. The

tubular section 13 is shown herein as an intercepting wall formingstructure of a refractory ceramic material, between the fuel and theexhaust fluids being passed by the apparatus, such structure having beensuitably treated with a catalytic substance such as platinum black. Itis characteristic of this arrangement, that while in contact with thecombustible vaporous petrol mixtures, said catalytic structure will withinitial starting temperatures at and exceeding four hundred degreescentigrade, rapidly developand maintain a glowing bright red state,corresponding to temperatures at or above one thousand degreescentigrade, without any apparent tendency to inilame the combustiblemixtures therein. In starting, the engine induces a cold vaporousmixture of petrol and a part of the air necessary for its completecombustion through 14" and up through 13, after which the mixture iscompleted by dilution with cold air automatically admitted through thevalve 5", and such complete mixture isdistributed to the respectiveconduits 12 and 34. Assuming a normal operation of the engine, theheated combustion products thereof are conducted alternately through 1,23 and 4, being temporarily accelerated through the annular restrictionl1, passing into the lower chamber 10 and being released to theatmospheref'through 9.4 Expansion of the accelerated ow at below 11serves to effect the ingress of atmospheric air at 15, A cooperativedouble throttling means is indicated by 2 and 3. 'Ihe active structure13 is rapidly heated to the point where catalytic oxidation or partialcombustion of the inner liquid hydrocarbon fuel sets in and by whichmeans the desired glowing temperature is attained.

Neglecting the more complicated chemical effects of the catalytic agent,other than the property of preventing inflammation or ignition of thefuel stream at such high temperatures, the broader physical law thatliquid hydrocarbon fuel compounds are combustible at a rate in directrelation to their degree of dispersion, lindicates the desirableadvantage of this improved fuel system in delivering to the engine thefluid fuel in molecular division or actual dry gaseous state, which ismore completelyoxidized therein with the theoretical amount of airpresent; which irnproved reaction within the engine very apparentlyprovides the main cooperative means of attaining the main object of thepresent invention, that is to say the elimination by combustion ofcarbon-monoxid from the exhaust gases in a commercially practicablemanner. Additional means of insuring the attainment of this main object,consists of passing the exhaust gases back through this improvedapparatus in contact with the outer wall surface 13 to appropriatelyheat and render active the catalytic substance, thereby super-heating tothe ignition point, in the presence of additional air taken through 15,such undesirable products that may derive from misfiring or excessivelubrication in the engine cylinders and carried out in the exhaustgases.

During the development of the present invention by means of actual testsin connection with a standard type of automotive engine, the inventorhas found that the cooling of the gaseous fuel to prevailing normaltemperatures subsequent to the improved fuelization, by the cold airdilution and by means of extra cooling surfaces pointed out at '7. and 8respectively, does not effect any appreciable precipitation of the fuelstream; a substantial increase in working compression pressures beingattained in the engine cylinders. It is .of course evident that thepreviously common diluent of the cylinder lubricant is not present inoperation with this improved system and also that the main source ofsolid carbon deposite has been eliminated. It is also recorded by theinventor that full capacity operation is effected with the presentsystem with no indication of knocking or detonation in the combustionchambers of the engine and without any prior treatment of the rawgasoline nor changes in the engine proper.

While it is entirely possible to operate, to some extent, this improvedfuel system witli the active element 13 in the form of a suitablemetallic (massive) structure, the inventor prefers to use a type ofrefractory ceramic structure in accordance with the above description.The known properties of certain of the platinum group of metals inconnection with the production of heat while in contact with hydrogencompounds, is old in the arts; but it is believed by the inventor thatthe present means of taking advantage of such and similar catalyticproperties in combination with this improved fuel system is entirelynovel, wherein the essential catalytic element has a controlledradiation characteristic and is adapted to the catalytic namelesscombustion at the one or inner surface while simultaneously promotingnormal ame combustion at the opposite outer wall surface; and in whichimproved system the hydro-carbon fluid is progressively treated in aprocess consisting of vaporization, gasifying the resulting vapors atradiant glowing temperatures of the conduit, without inflammation,diluting with air and cooling to attain a normal volumetric state,preceding the charging of the engine combustion chamber, andsubsequently super-heating and aerating the products therefrom inorderto ignite any incompletely oxidized fuels present therein prior toreleasing the exhaust uids to the atmosphere. The present invention isbelieved to be a vital departure from any previous system in the artspertaining thereto and for the objects intended.

In the foregoing disclosure, the description has been more or lessconfined to -the one embodiment shown herein but it will be understoodthat in actual practice a more compact arrangement to attain eilicientcooperation of the various parts of the system will not constitute adeparture from the broader scope of the invention. Certain ofdistinctive refinements which have occurred to the inventor willform thesubject .matter for subsequent applications.

Now that I have described my invention, what I claim is:

n 1. The method which includes subjecting a hydrocarbon fuel to theaction of a catalyst in its passage to the zone of use and subjectingthe by-products of its combustion to a catalyst after its explosion.

2. The method which includes mingling the by-products of the combustionof a hydrocarbon fuel with low pressure air and subjecting suchby-products to the action of a catalyst.

3. The method which includes mingling hydrocarbon fuel with a primaryair supply, subjecting such mixture to the action of a catalyst,subsequently adding to the mixture so formed secondary low pressure airsuflicient for the production of a readily explosive mixture, explodingsuch mixture, and subjecting the by-products of its combustion to theaction of a catalyst after its explosion.

4. A fuel system which includes a fuel inlet passage and an exhaustpassage, and a catalytic partition member adapted to separate saidpassages.

5. A fuel system which includes a fuel inlet passage and an exhaustpassage, the walls of each of said passage being in part catalytic.

6. A fuel system including a fuel intake passage and an exhaust passage,a catalytic structure communicated with said intake passage, said'catalytic structure including a catalytic element adapted to produceflameless combustion of a part of the charge forming mixture passingtherethrough, the exhaust passage' communicating with one side of saidcatalytic element.

, 7. A fuel system which includes a fuel intake passage and an exhaustpassage, a catalytic element communicated with the fuel inlet passage,saidv element being adapted, when initially heated, to maintaincatalytic flameless combustion of a part of the charge forming fuelmixture, and means for directing the hot exhaust products of combustioninto heating contact with said catalytic element.

8. A fuel system which includes means for mixing a hydrocarbon fuel andair, means for catalyzing and fixing the mixture, means for supplyinglow pressure air to the resulting product, an outlet for conveying saidproduct to a place of combustion, and a passage for conveying theproducts of combustion to the catalyzing means.

EMORY LEE RATHBURN.

